How Gladstone is run
Who runs Gladstone, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Gladstone's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Gladstone
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
Gladstone city staff
56 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 22, Public works (streets, water, sewer, storm water) 15, Administration 7, Parks 4, Community center 4, Other (court, IT, facilities) 4. BN2025-27 budget (first year). City of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
The city posts salary schedules by job class for non-represented, AFSCME and police staff. They do not list the City Administrator, and we found no list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Gladstone in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The budget message calls the 2025-2027 budget balanced. It notes the city has little vacant land, which limits property tax growth. After voters approved joining Clackamas Fire District #1 from July 1, 2026, the council cut the city's permanent tax rate collection by $1.75 per $1,000 for three years and ended the $0.31 fire levy. City of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $4.5M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The city keeps general fund unrestricted fund balance (committed, assigned and unassigned) of at least 10% of fund revenue. City of Gladstone · Dec 19, 2025
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for BN2025-27.
Comes from
- Property taxes (current year)$10.4M · 38%
- Beginning balance carried in$6.4M · 23%
- Transfers in from other funds$3.2M · 12%
- Franchise fees$2.1M · 8%
- Interest$1.4M · 5%
- Grants$1.1M · 4%
- Other (lodging tax, state shared taxes, court fines, licenses, fees)$2.8M · 10%
Goes to (BN2025-27)
- Police$8.1M · 30%
- Administration$5M · 18%
- Fire and EMS (Clackamas Fire District #1 contract)$4.1M · 15%
- Parks$3.2M · 12%
- Contingency$1.7M · 6%
- Debt service$1.3M · 5%
- Other (court, community center, IT, facilities, library payment, recreation)$4.1M · 15%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Rates for tax code 115-040, the city's largest tax code area, before Gladstone joined Clackamas Fire District #1. From FY2026-27 the fire district rate is added and the city collects $1.75 less per $1,000 and no fire levy.
27¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Gladstone
- Gladstone School District8.7543 · 43%
- City of Gladstone (permanent rate and police and fire levies)5.4457 · 27%
- Clackamas County (incl. public safety levy and radio bond)2.6804 · 13%
- Gladstone Urban Renewal Agency1.0541 · 5%
- Clackamas Community College0.7424 · 4%
- Metro0.5674 · 3%
- Clackamas County library district0.3649 · 2%
- Clackamas Education Service District0.3385 · 2%
- Other (Port of Portland, extension, soil conservation, vector control, county urban renewal)0.2014 · <1%
- Total ($ per $1,000 of assessed value)20.1491
FY2025-26 rates for a home in the city of Gladstone (Clackamas County, tax code 115-040). Clackamas County Assessment and Taxation · Oct 1, 2025
See what a Gladstone house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Gladstone is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityGladstone Police DepartmentCity of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
- Fire and emergency medical servicesSeparate districtClackamas Fire District #1City of Gladstone · Feb 10, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Gladstone Public WorksCity of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
- Sewer collectionThe cityCity of Gladstone Public WorksWastewater goes to Water Environment Services or Oak Lodge Water Services for treatment.City of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity of Gladstone (Road and Street Fund)City of Gladstone · Dec 19, 2025
- ParksThe cityCity of Gladstone Public WorksCity of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
- LibraryThe countyClackamas County (Library District of Clackamas County)The county built and runs the library; the city pays an annual contribution.City of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
- Municipal courtThe cityGladstone Municipal Court (City of Gladstone)City of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | Cottage GroveOR | GladstoneOR | OntarioOR | La GrandeOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,851 | 11,865 | 11,957 | 12,985 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $192,741 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $150,972 |
| Council member pay | No salary | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,113 | $2,319 | $1,534 | $1,701 |
| Debt per resident | $2,069 | $624 | $280 | $148 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,197 | $583 | $875 | $397 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | 4.7 | 4.7 | 13.3 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how). Cottage Grove and Gladstone pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Gladstone publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no contract or stated pay for City Administrator Jacque Betz on the city's site or in posted salary schedules. City of Gladstone
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's yes or no vote on motions, then the tally. City of Gladstone · Aug 11, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Gladstone
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no document stating council or mayor pay. The budget lists $30,000 for council activities over two years. City of Gladstone · Jun 24, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Gladstone
Questions to ask your council
- The city cut its property tax collection by $1.75 per $1,000 for FY2026-27 through FY2028-29 after joining Clackamas Fire District #1. What happens to the city rate after June 30, 2029?
- The general fund spent $681,000 more than it took in during FY2024-25 before transfers, and $1.27 million in transfers kept its balance rising. How long can other funds keep covering that gap?
- Police make up $8.1 million of the $27.5 million general fund budget for the two years ending June 30, 2027. How will the council weigh police costs against other services?
- The city's share of the Oregon PERS unfunded liability was $6.9 million in the FY2025 audit. How much will PERS rates add to costs in the next budget?
Help decide what comes next
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